I've been eying Burberry trenches for years and finally decided to splurge on one for my birthday. Trouble is, as much as I love their iconic "heritage" styles, I was hoping to get one that is just a little bit different, a little less "plain" but still classic and versatile enough to wear in a variety of work & social settings. Right now, I am drawn to their trenches that have the extra leather detail, such as this one with the double leather cuff straps. I was hoping to get it in black but it seems like they tend to offer that particular style in every colour [I]but black[/l] (okay, not entirely true, there is one like that in black but it's the "long" version for tall people and since I'm only 5'2", it'll be too long on me, and one can only shorten the length so much; but more importantly, it's completely sold out in my size...)

Anyway, I ordered it in NAVY and it arrived today. Fits perfect and the length is perfect. But I'm torn. I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD KEEP IT.

On one hand, considering that most of my wardrobe is rather monochromatic (blacks, whites, grays, blues), that I generally wear black trousers & shoes, my everyday bag is black, I'm wondering if it would be a good or bad idea to wear a coat that is navy? While I think perhaps a "brighter/lighter navy" would be a good contrast to all the black that I usually wear, this particular trench is a very dark navy, and could be mistaken for black from a distance.

I remember when I was much younger how it was considered a big no-no to wear black & blue/navy together but nowadays, that "rule" has long been thrown out.

SO...WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK?? Should I be confident and keep the navy trench or should I wait and get another one in black like I originally wanted? Would the dark navy work or would it be a fashion faux pas? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I've even created a POLL!

P.S. If some of you are thinking that I should forgo the dark coat colours altogether and opt for the original beige/tan "trench" colour, I also tried to convince myself of this too but after trying on that trench multiple times in the stores, I've finally accepted the reality that the "trench" colour just does not compliment my skintone as well (which is a light-medium). Even the sales agent told me to opt for the black (the navy wasn't available in the store at the time so I couldn't get his opinion regarding that one).

The flagstore shops offer smaller in-store alterations upon purchase, included in the price. At least, thats what I have heard. Might solve your length issue? Of course, maybe not even Burberry can hem something that much with success...

If it is the black you really want, then that is what I would go for, and I would wait. It is supposed to be an investment piece, and maybe by the next collection, you can find exactly what you need. However, if the Navy suits you better, then I think it is a classic burberry color and I don't think it will date I like black with navy too

myown, A girl I go to uni with wears a black "teddy coat" during winter. We usually have degrees between 0-8 degrees celcius. She layers it with large scarves and sweaters. They work as long as there is no strong wind (you will freeze to death), or hot sun (you will melt). Whether it works for transitional seasons would depend on where you live